We now live in a 'global village', a multi-faith society where exclusive claims may offend. Many adherents of other faiths are prepared to recognise Jesus as a great teacher, prophet, leader and reformer -even perhaps as one way to God. Are we not then being arrogant, intolerant and narrow-minded by...
Christians commonly present a circular argument in the way they discuss the authority of the Bible. They say that Jesus is the Son of God and produce proof texts from the Word of God to make their point. The unbeliever replies that he does not believe the Bible. The Christian...
'If God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him.' Voltaire Isn't it possible to explain Christian conversion and behaviour in purely psychological terms? This question can be rather threatening. Our faith in Christ is intensely personal, and we are right to feel deeply about it. But emotional feeling...
Many people say they are unable to believe what the Bible says about God because they are unable to believe that miracles happened. They are at least clearly able to see what some liberal theologians can't - that belief in the God of the Bible implies belief in the miraculous....
Three Valid Approaches Beauty and design in the natural order eg Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20 Inner awareness eg Acts 17:27, Rom 2:15 God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ eg Col 1:13-15 Three Different Sets of Objections Creation Genesis v Evolution The problems of suffering and evil Experience The world's religions Isn't...
It is one thing to know what the Gospel is. But it is quite another to present it clearly and succinctly in a way that others can understand. A good Gospel outline needs to be simple to remember, and free of jargon terms while covering the central issues of the...
One of the most effective methods of engaging in evangelism is to invite your friends round for a meal with the explicit purpose of having an after-supper discussion about Christianity. Ideally one or two Christians need to invite about a dozen of their uncommitted friends. An attractive and enjoyable meal...
In answering we need to ask why and when our friends think the Bible has been changed? There are four separate questions here: Did the events really happen in the way the eyewitnesses claimed they did? (Are there errors of fact?) If the eyewitnesses did not relate the events as they...
In short, we do not know! 'The secret things belong to the Lord our God' (Dt 29:29). Certainly we cannot speak for any individual. However, the Bible does not leave us totally in the dark and various approaches towards an answer can be made. We are not here considering the...
Being open about your faith in God can be scaring! The common fears are: losing friends appearing judgmental not knowing how to answer their questions On the first issue, all one can say is, 'Yes, that's a risk! Being a disciple is a costly business.' However, in our culture if...